Aimeé-Kate Bosch Speech Therapist

03/09/2025

Happy Birthday to Anlu, our dedicated and passionate Speech Therapist! We hope you have a wonderful day!

09/08/2025

🌸 Happy Women's Day 🌸

Today, we pause to celebrate the incredible women who inspire, nurture, lead, and uplift those around them — not just today, but every single day.

To the mothers who advocate for their children's voices…
To the caregivers who show patience and love through every challenge…
To the doctors and nurses who heal with both skill and compassion…
To the colleagues and professionals who empower and innovate in our field…
To the wives, sisters, daughters, and friends who provide strength and support…

You are the heart of our communities, and the soul of our shared journey.

We are honored to walk alongside so many strong, compassionate, and inspiring women — as clients, colleagues, and partners in care.

Today, we celebrate you. Thank you for all that you do, and all that you are.

08/08/2025

Feeding is more than nutrition
🌿 It's about bonding, communication, and connection

All feeding journeys are welcome
✔️ Breast
✔️ Bottle
✔️ Expressed milk
✔️ Tube feeding

Speech Therapists support early feeding
👅 Oral motor skills
💨 Suck–swallow–breathe coordination
🧠 Sensory and neurological development

Lactation and beyond
🌿 Speech Therapist Anlu Behm is training to become a Certified Lactation Consultant. Contact her for assistance with your feeding journey!

We’re here to help
🌱 From newborn latching challenges to complex feeding needs, you’re not alone.

07/08/2025

Speech Therapists can assist with breastfeeding. Here's how:

🌿 1. Oral Motor Assessment:
Speech Therapists are trained to assess the structure and function of a baby’s mouth, tongue, jaw, and palate. We can identify issues like tongue tie, high palate, or weak suck, which may affect latching and feeding.

🌿 2. Supporting Suck-Swallow-Breathe Coordination:
Effective breastfeeding relies on a baby’s ability to suck, swallow, and breathe in a coordinated way. Speech Therapists specialize in feeding development and can help babies who struggle with this pattern — especially premature infants or babies with medical conditions.

🌿 3. Feeding Position and Technique Support:
SLPs can work alongside lactation consultants to offer individualized guidance on positioning, pacing, and latching techniques, especially when feeding challenges are rooted in neuromuscular or sensory issues.

🌿 4. Sensory Processing and Arousal Regulation:
Some babies may struggle with breastfeeding due to sensory sensitivities or difficulties with state regulation (e.g., staying calm and alert enough to feed). Speech Therapists can help with strategies to improve sensory comfort and readiness for feeding.

🌿 5. Multidisciplinary Support for Complex Cases:
In babies with conditions like cleft palate, neurological disorders, or prematurity, SLPs play a key role in a multidisciplinary team, supporting not just speech and language, but safe and effective feeding — starting from the breast if possible.

06/08/2025

Breastfeeding Awareness Week:

Did you know?
Speech-Language Therapists play a critical role in the NICU — starting from day one.

Early intervention by a Speech Therapist can support safe feeding, successful breastfeeding, and even help prevent long-term speech and communication delays.

For premature or medically fragile babies, feeding isn't just about nutrition — it's a complex coordination of suck, swallow, and breathe. That’s where Speech Therapists come in.

We help with:
- Oral-motor skills for feeding
- Positioning
- Breastfeeding support
- Coaching families to connect and communicate from the start.

Feeding is the foundation for later speech, language, and bonding.

🔍 Research shows that NICU infants receiving early feeding support from SLPs reach full oral feeds sooner and are more likely to exclusively breastfeed at discharge — setting the stage for better developmental outcomes.
We are here to support families every step of the way.

22/07/2025

More Than Just Speech Therapy
In acute care and rehab, we acknowledge that every patient carries a unique story — a life full of experiences, memories, and wisdom behind their diagnosis.

When Speech Therapists take the time to build genuine rapport, amazing things happen:
🌿Improved Participation
Trust and connection encourage patients to engage more fully in therapy sessions — boosting motivation and outcomes.
🌿Understanding the Whole Person
Getting to know their preferences, hobbies, and values helps tailor therapy that feels relevant and respectful.
🌿Enhancing Communication
Rapport breaks down barriers, making patients feel safe to express themselves — even when words are hard.
🌿Empathy Drives Better Care
Knowing the person behind the diagnosis fosters compassion and personalized strategies that truly make a difference.

At the heart of every diagnosis is a person — and strong therapeutic relationships help unlock their full potential.

16/07/2025

We are elated to learn of the success of Professor Anthony Figaji, head of the Paediatric Neurosurgery Service at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, in securing the Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship Award. The Fellowship Award is the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust’s most prestigious grant and Figaji received it last night at the Trust's headquarters in Johannesburg in recognition of his exceptional contributions to treating brain injuries in children.

This grant will present him with the liberty to pursue his area of study more boldly and help him and his team contribute to new diagnostic and predictive tools to improve outcomes for young brain injury sufferers.

Read more: https://www.news.uct.ac.za/article/-2025-07-16-oppenheimer-fellowship-will-advance-childhood-brain-research?fbclid=IwY2xjawLkZKRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFXTTBmZmtEcmdBelVQOWJwAR75JYdJDevZ4QD3yLBeyVsi2-FF8cFai6JK7GfSLg4El9o87Xq5ir7AjCQ_OQ_aem_ydozCh0HU8NG80oatK2PvA.

16/07/2025

A stroke changes more than just words... It can change confidence, too.

After a stroke, many people face challenges with speaking, understanding, or finding the right words. Others may have facial weakness, drooping, or changes in voice quality.

It's not hard to see how these changes can deeply affect self-esteem and confidence, especially in social situations.

👉 They may worry about being misunderstood, feel embarrassed about how their voice sounds, or become self-conscious about how their face moves when they smile or talk.
👉 Some start to withdraw from conversations, avoid gatherings, or even stop answering the phone- simply because it feels too hard or too painful.

BUT THERE IS HOPE!

Speech Therapy isn't just about exercises or drills. It's also about helping people reconnect with their world, rebuild confidence, and find joyful, meaningful ways to communicate.

🌿 We focus on practical strategies, emotional support, and building back the courage to be seen and heard. Because everyone deserves to have a voice- and to feel good using it!

If you or someone you love is facing these challenges after a stroke, please know you're not alone. We are here to help!

14/05/2025

🗣💙May is Apraxia Awareness month, and today is Apraxia Awareness Day! 💙🗣

Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder that makes it difficult for children to plan and produce the precise movements needed for clear speech. Children know what they want to say, but their brains have trouble coordinating the muscle movements to say it.

💙 Today, we raise awareness l, support families and celebrate the hard work and resilience of every child with apraxia - and the therapist's, educators, and parents who walk beside them.

👉 Early diagnosis and consistent, individualised speech therapy are key.

⭐️ With time, support, and therapy, progress is always possible.

12/05/2025

Nurses Day. A day where we celebrate those who show compassion, empathy and dedication every single day. They not only care for their patients, but also for their colleagues and the rest of the healthcare team. We appreciate all that you do for us and for our patients on a daily basis. Thank you for your hard work and nurturing qualities! We are thankful to each and every one of you!

21/03/2025

21 March: World Down Syndrome Day

Speech Therapy is a powerful tool in supporting children with Down Syndrome to develop vital communication skills.
Here's how it can help:
🗣 Improves Communication Skills: Speech Therapists work with children to enhance their ability to speak clearly, express their thoughts, and understand others.

👄 Strengthen oral motor skills: Therapy helps with muscle coordination in the mouth, improving ability to speak, eat and swallow.

🧠 Boosts Cognitive Development: Language skills are closely linked to cognitive abilities, and Speech Therapy can support better understanding and problem solving.

⭐️ Increase confidence: As communication skills improve, children gain confidence to interact with others and participate in social activities.

💚 Early intervention is Key: The earlier Speech Therapy is started, the better the outcomes. Consistent support from a multidisciplinary team can make a huge difference.

Thank you to Rose's parents for sharing their experience. Photos shared with consent.

#

20/03/2025

We are privileged to work alongside amazing colleagues at Busamed Paardevlei! Having a strong multidisciplinary team ensures optimal care for our patients!



Vergelegen Dietitians
Busamed Paardevlei Private Hospital

Grateful to our team at Busamed.

Team work makes the dream work!

Our allied team